Agriculture Secretary Announces Pilot Project to Improve Kansas Farm Ponds
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on December 13 a new pilot program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Kansas and Colorado to remove sediments from ponds to help provide more water for livestock or for irrigation. Part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the pilot provides an additional conservation option for producers who face drought-related issues on their agricultural operations.
Also, for the current fiscal year, NRCS has made available over $16 million through the EQIP program to farmers and ranchers for water conservation, practices, and wildlife habitat that have been affected by the drought. Those funds are in addition to the over $27 million provided to farmers ranchers in 22 states for drought mitigation during fiscal year 2012.
At this time, EQIP is a continuous sign-up process. For more information on the new project contact the Kansas Natural Resource Conservation Service state office at 760 S. Broadway Blvd. Salina, KS 67401-4604 785-823-4500 or contact your local NRCS county office.